Honoring Daddy!

Happy Father's Day to the best daddy in the whole wide world!

As I'm scrolling through these pictures I'm realizing that Micah isn't in a single one. Boo! He'll be in them next year, I'm sure. Daddy becomes very 'hand-on' once the boys are able to wrestle!!! Until then, he leaves them contented in the swing or bouncer or car seat... Why pick a baby up if he's not crying? That's Joe's philosophy! I'll be gone for hours (literally!) and come home to see Micah in the exact place I left him. Then I'll ask, "Did you ever pick him up?" Joe's response, "Nope... he never cried!" I love it! But I know that once Micah is able to WRESTLE, then I'll be turning him over to Daddy! It's the way it should be, I suppose!

Our big Father's Day weekend plans had to be altered a bit when Wyatt, Daddy, and Isaac all came down with a stomach virus. Wy guy was such a trooper and very rarely complained. Now Daddy on the other hand... well that's a different story! : ) Here is a pic of Wyatt trying to fall asleep in our bath tub...

And here's our sick little Isaac... Not even a stomach virus can keep this boy down! I tell you what, keeping an active 17-month-old on the wood floor while sick is about the hardest job I've ever had! But we made it through the weekend without him getting sick on the carpet a single time! Mission accomplished!

We stayed around the house ALL weekend but found lots of fun activities to get us through... Wyatt started out with a hair cut (Pez in hand--a favorite hair-cut-only treat!)!

Wyatt received his first shave kit...

So Joe and Wyatt had fun painting on Noah beards and shaving away their whiskers!

We made hats... This was a project inspired by a Curious George episode...

The boys wrestled...

and spent lots of time loving on Daddy!

We had sword fights...

and hung out in the basement...making a huge disaster of the toys!

The boys built towers together...

and shot some hoops!

and stacked blocks!

Everyone was finally feeling up for some food by Saturday night, so we grilled out and made crate paper spider webs on the deck...

Spider Webs...another activity inspired by Curious George!

Daddy enjoyed some chicken kabobs with Homemade BBQ sauce by Lil Chef Wyatt!

and we finished the evening with Root Beer Floats! All of Daddy's favs!

The boys were excited to dig into Daddy's gift on Sunday morning!

Wyatt is getting quite opinionated about his wardrobe... This is what he chose for church! He was getting a little stir crazy and had been puke-free for 48 hrs so Daddy and Wyatt ventured to the Sunday morning service together!

Then we grilled some steaks and had some Father's Day PUPCAKES!

Everyone walked to the pool Sunday evening so the boys could swim and try out their new goggles!

All in all it was a very MEMORABLE weekend! I have to admit that I'm glad this one is behind us. I don't think we've ever been this sick in the summertime. But my house is probably cleaner than it has EVER been... I've been a bit compulsive with the Clorox! And the boys got plenty of quality time with their daddy. We'll try for a date night (Joe's only Father's Day request!) and a t-bones game next weekend (Lord willing!)...

Thoughts for Daddy!

We started a little project for Daddy on the first day of June! It was supposed to be a collection of 19 daily thoughts from Wyatt leading up to Father's Day about why he loves his daddy. Here's the results:

Day 1: "I love daddy because he works. Someday I'll be big and go to work... I love work!"

Day 2: "I love Daddy playing shoot guns with me (this was the same day he almost gave an old lady a heart attack at Joe's office when he pulled out his pop gun and shot it off in the elevator. Fortunately, the lady found him to be hysterical after she realized it was just a play gun! : /

Day 3: "I love Daddy because he wrestles me!"

Day 4: "I love Daddy because he wrestles me!"

Day 5: "I love Daddy because he wrestles me!"

Day 6: You get the point! We stopped here. Wyatt has a very strong affection for wrestling Daddy right now. It's definitely his love language! Jojo, Our boys love you so much that their little bodies shake, they squeal with delight and almost burst at the seams each evening when they watch you pull in the driveway from the dining room window! Their excitement never grows dull or fades, but is new each time they see you. They want to be JUST like you...is that a sobering thought, or what?!

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So here are a few thoughts of mine about Joe...

An area of strength: MEEKNESS. A couple years back, the youth pastor at Bethel described Joe in a sermon illustration as being a meek man. Hmmmmm..... Really? A former police officer and Secret Service Agent. This didn't seem to be a virtue I had ever attributed to Joe's character. Nor was it one that I thought was so desirable for a 'manly man'! I was a little perplexed by this new thought and obviously very ignorant to the meaning of the word. Since then, the more I've read the Sermon on the Mount and studied the meaning of meekness, the more I realize that it is indeed a very fitting description of my husband... Meek: Strength under control; not overly impressed by a sense of self-importance; one who avoids conduct of promoting self.

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

I'm so thankful the Lord has worked this quality into his character and that he has chosen to not make much of himself, is not a defender of his rights, or looking for personal gain! He is a humble man with a holy confidence in the Lord. He is usually very even-tempered and self-controlled, and able to gain the respect of others without demanding it! We are blessed. This is a quality that makes him and excellent father and husband. An area for growth... GRACE! I have to admit that Joe is right most of the time. Ouch! Did I really just write that for the world to read?! Although painful at times to admit, it's true. He's right most of the time! However, I think his words would be better received by our boys, myself, and others if they were a bit more grace-filled!

Colossians 4:6

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt...

So I write these little notes as a legacy to our boys of God's work in our lives. Yes, even Mommy's and Daddy's need teaching, rebuking, correcting and training, until the Lord completes the work he has began in us on the day of Christ Jesus. So may these words be an encouragement to your souls. I envision you boys and your families reading through these printed blog books when we gather together for Christmas... I hope there is lots of laughter reading back through your silly quirks and sayings! And I also hope there is evidence of God's grace and transforming power at work in our family through the years! I hope you look at your daddy as a man who is meek AND full of grace and be encouraged that His work in us continues... We love you! P.S. I must note that I've asked Daddy to write a couple of blog posts this year so you don't always hear from only Mommy's perspective!

Isaac at 17 Months!

Does this little boy look as sweet and mild and gentle as can be here?

Well he is VERY SWEET and VERY FEISTY too (Don't be deceived by the gentle and mild look, though... maybe with time... maybe)!

We still have yet to find a good spot for Gabbi's food and water dishes. It is such a gross mess to clean up when Isaac gets into them and dumps them all over the floor. I find myself Cloroxing the floors and Isaac about once per day! I think the only safe place would be inside of a cage with a huge pad lock on the front! The garage used to work but now it's too hot for Gabbi to stay out there, so we're back to big messes or a hungry and thirsty barking dog. I can't win this game!

Isaac loves to wear glasses and he always wants you to notice his cool look!

Here he is all clean and dressed in his cute fireman towel. Thanks Aunt Janene for the fun gift!

I think Isaac is just about done with the high chair. He wants to be a big boy so bad and do everything that Wyatt is able to do. Funny little story (after the fact, that is!)... So I left Isaac in his high chair eating a brownie....I left the room for about 2 min and I hear Wyatt screaming, "Oh my goodness... Isaac's drinking coffee!" I made a made dash back to the kitchen to find Isaac standing on the kitchen island drinking Joe's coffee (and a large puddle of it under his feet!). He had apparently climbed out of his high chair, onto the tray, and then onto the kitchen island. Yep, I think the high chair is going to get put away very soon or I'll be calling 9-1-1 when he falls off the counter!

He knows how to lock and unlock the doors now

This boy IS such a monkey!

You're wondering why I have a photo of a bird, right? Well, Isaac loves birds and helicopters... I'm seeing a trend here for things that fly. Maybe he's gonna be a pilot or something!

You only look cute in your birthday suit for about the first two years of life, so I had to capture his cuteness!!!!

Ike loves to hide behind the curtains....

and play shoot guns with Wyatt!

He's normally tuckered out by lunch time!

Gabbi is very protective of Isaac in particular. She waits right outside his door and is sure to be the first to let us know when he's awake!This might be new fav of mine! I just love this photo!

Here are his cute little blond curls! Can you believe that Daddy almost cut them off last month? He's so glad that I stopped him... we both just love his little curls!

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A Few More Fun Facts About our 17-month-old:

ISAAC...

-loves lights and buttons and any kind of cause and effect reaction! He's got a cute little routine before and after nap time/bedtime of turning on/off his monitor, radio and lights! He also loves the cause and effect reaction he gets from Wyatt when he gets a hold of the remote and turns OFF his movie midway through! :/

-loves to be my helper and put Micah's stinky diapers in the trash.

-loves the rain, SINGING (he has a beautiful voice I must add), and Hot Tomales (strange, huh?)

-is physically exhausting. He loves to climb and is on the verge of emergency or disaster about 75% of the day. There is no more leaving Isaac anywhere alone! I've got one in a stage of physical exhaustion and another in the stage of mental exhaustion... sometimes when Joe gets home I am completely in a fog. What will it be like next year when I have 3 who are high maintenance? I'm counting on much growth and maturity from my big boys in the next year! : )

-is petrified of being of swings and pool boats. OK, I'm not sure if it's fear or a control factor here. He definitely does not like to be restrained! He wants to be free to be on the GO at all times!

-discovered that it's much more fun to eat an ice cream cone from the bottom up. He eats the bottom out of the cone then tries to eat the ice cream as fast as he can as it drips all over himself!

-fits his name to a T! I know I say this all the time but he truly defines laughter. He makes me laugh out loud daily! He is good medicine for my soul and I think he's gonna be a good weight loss regimen for me too... this fella moves like a machine all day long!

I love you more than you'll ever know, little buddy! You are my sunshine when skies are grey!

2 Months with Micah Jay!

Micah is the best cuddler in the whole wide world... and I'm taking full advantage of our snuggle time as much as possible these days! There's always a big load of laundry waiting for me, but I've gotten plenty of reading done the past 2 months with a baby in my arms! I LOVE snuggling with Micah Jay! The laundry will always be there, right? But soon my baby will be big like his brothers and I won't get to snuggle him anymore... so I'm holding on to these moments as long as I can make them last!

Sweet conversations with Mommy!

I love coming home and seeing Micah in the Bjorn with Daddy! Mr. Productivity can't seem to slow down and snuggle with his boy, so he just straps him on his chest and they get some quality time working together!

Micah's got some male pattern baldness going on!

Bath Time--always a highlight for Micah!

His shirt says HUNGRY! That about sums it up for Micah... He's always hungry!

And our chubby monkey is now off the growth charts. That's right, he's beyond the 97th% in everything! He weighs 14lbs 13oz and is 24.5 in long at just 2 months of age!I just LOVE baby feet!

We just love this little boy to pieces! Micah remains so content, yet very interactive when you talk to and play with him! He's slept through the night a few nights here and there but is still mostly waking once. I have to say that I've been quite a softy... I know he's plenty big enough to be sleeping through the night, but I just can't let him cry it out yet! I actually enjoy our early morning time together. I normally end up falling asleep in my nursing chair for about 2 hours before I finally wake up with a crook in my neck and decide it's time for each of us to get back into our own beds! Maybe it's the thought of him possibly being our last, or maybe it's just the fresh perspective I have of how fast each stage really passes by. I was just doing this with Isaac one year ago and now he's such a big boy! So grateful for these sweet moments and precious memories. I'm soaking them all in and letting them linger a bit longer this time!

Can't Help to Compare!

OK, so I try hard not to compare my boys... not through blog posts, or conversations, or in training and discipline. I just want them to have the freedom to be exactly who they were each created to be, independently and uniquely, without constantly being compared to their siblings! But I couldn't help to compare these two photos of Isaac and Micah. Do you see a pretty strong resemblance, or is it just me? And much to Daddy's dismay, Micah's DARK hair is falling out and coming back in BLOND! I'm not sure he'll be a toe head like Isaac, but he certainly isn't going to be a brunette! So with these two fellas only being 15 months apart, I have a feeling they will have to find a different characteristic to set them apart other than in their looks! : )

Micah Jay 6-weeks

Isaac Owen 5-Weeks

Life with THREE--Update!

The past couple weeks with Joe back to work have been very smooth and very wild all at the same time! Let me explain... while we're home, life it totally manageable. I know that our house is child-proofed and there are baby locks and outlet plugs and door handle devices. But when we venture out... Oh my! Now that's a different story! I don't have the confidence or stamina to keep up with these boys anywhere other than home most of the time. Once the van doors are open and their seat belts unfastened, Wyatt and Isaac always dart in different directions and Micah is normally hungry at exactly the same time. I definitely need a third hand or an assistant at all times! I am not much of a homebody so this has totally thrown me for a loop! : ) And I can't be stuck inside all day long, so somehow we manage little outings here and there. Needless to say, when my head hits the pillow at night, I'm out cold!

Here's a quick run-down of a few mishaps in our home:

• I set off the smoke alarm with some VERY burnt bread and had both Micah and Isaac screaming at the top of their little lungs! Fireman Wyatt thought it was a great opportunity to put his skills to work!
• We had to call poison control once, as Wyatt decided to taste-test the mold medium for our basement mold test
• Isaac found my retainer and gave it to Gabbi while I was feeding Micah... Needless to say, 2 appointments and over $300 later I have a new one. I didn't even have a single piece left of the old one to show the dentist so he could match the material.
• Wyatt colored all over the floorboard of the new van with a marker
• Isaac ate a hand full of mud straight from the ground and a hand full of brownies out of the trash can, all with a great big grin on his face!

So my theme verse has been Colossians 1:17

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

If God can hold the universe together, then he can surely hold together the details of my days as well! His grace is sufficient and his power is made perfect in my weakness! And all of the little 'mishaps' seem to be the very sanctifying pieces he intends to use for my good... if only I would see them that way in the midst of the trial!